Mistake of Justice
by michoct
Summary: Promises were made, hearts broken. A complicated relationship is forever changed when a life changing accident causes all rules to be thrown out. Will outside forces help them find their way to each other and finally have the forever they always wanted?
1. Chapter 1

Ok, so this first chapter is short but we wanted to get it posted before I leave for vacation… so you will all have to wait till next weekend for Chapter 2. There is a lot of background but most of it will be explained as we go along. This is pretty AU, there will be a lot of their history re-written as this moves along. The rating will of course be NC-17/MA.

This fic is co-written by Deb and neither of us are affiliated with ABC, Disney or any of that stuff, the money would be nice but their shows are crap!

Chapter 1

_"Elizabeth, I'm not going to argue about this anymore. I don't know what you want from me?"_

_She slammed her purse down on the counter and looked around to make sure nobody saw. She didn't want to cause a scene. "What I want!? I'm beyond what I want Jason!" She said through gritted teeth. Her words were strong but she kept her voice down so she did not draw attention to them. "Danger, danger, danger… bullshit. Our boys need a father yet you feel it is too dangerous. Sure I agree, your life is dangerous but look at how I see it, or how the boys see it. Take Cameron for instance, you can't come to his very first t-ball game ever or his birthday or holidays. You appear when it is convenient for you and when it is 'safe'." She formed air quotes when she said the word safe._

_She took a deep breath, scanned the area once more then continued, "Jason, you are his father and he doesn't understand the danger. All he knows is how to be sad when he sees you at Kelly's with Carly and her boys. What do you think it does to him to keep the secret that his father is not Zander who died years ago."_

_Jason threw his hands in the air, "That's not fair. I don't get to choose whether Carly puts her boys in harms way but I can for my own."_

Elizabeth threw the glass that was in her hand as she remembered the conversation she had with Jason earlier that day. Jason was visiting one of the guards that worked for him. He had gotten injured on the job, a 'freak' accident that was obviously a stab wound but they claimed it was some fall to avoid a police report. When he had arrived she immediately took her break to avoid him. She had gotten good at the no contact agreement over recent months but it didn't help that he was everywhere with everyone, including Michael and Morgan Corinthos. As her break ticked by, her anger increased over their run-in at Kelly's the day before and by the time she walked off the elevator and he was finally leaving, the look she cast his way more then expressed her disgust for him.

It was a love-hate relationship through the years. They loved each other, that certainly was never an issue. The issue was that she also hated him, his job and his life… mostly she hated the way he could make her melt into a pile of goo no matter when or where. Over the years he'd sucked her in many times but, in his defense, he seemed sure they were going to work it out. Each time something would happen though, something dangerous would push them apart and cause one of them to run away, most recently just after Jake was born.

"Mama, what was that crash?" Cameron asked appearing in her bedroom doorway.

Elizabeth jumped at the sound of his voice and rushed over to the wall that the glass had shattered against. "Oh nothing sweetie, I just slipped and my water glass broke."

"It was really loud."

Elizabeth knelt down and began to pick up the pieces of glass. "I'm sorry, it didn't wake Jake up did it?"

Cameron shrugged then shook his head, "I don't fink so."

"I'm alright sweetie. Go ahead and get back into bed."

Cameron's head bobbed up and down then he disappeared from her doorway. She wanted to cry and a few years ago she probably would have but now she was out of tears. The sadness had been replaced with resentment and anger. "Ugh, why do you do this to me." she grunted as she picked up the shards of glass form the hard wood floor.

Once the glass was cleaned up, Elizabeth took a long, hot, relaxing shower. Being a single mother was hard but at the end of the day a long, hot shower always helped bring her out of whatever rut she was in.

When she finally stepped out of the shower and returned to her bedroom she heard the buzz from her cell phone signaling that she missed a call. Looking at the menu on her phone, she smiled when she saw who it was and immediately dialed. "Hey, Sean it's me. Sorry, I was in the shower – no they are in bed – how are things going? – that's good – yea I am tired but I'm glad you called, it was getting late, I wasn't sure if you'd call tonight – I think me and the boys are going to try to soon. They are excited to visit again, maybe we can meet in Rome – yea I will have them call you tomorrow to say hi – haha, yes I will make sure its not too early, we will call after lunch – yea the time difference is difficult – I love you too and I miss you too – talk to you tomorrow – bye."

That phone call was exactly what she needed. She slipped into a pair of comfortable sweatpants and a tank top and was just about to climb into bed when her phone rang again, this time with a text message. She looked at the screen and saw it was from a restricted number. Her stomach dropped and she fell onto the side of the bed. She had to read what this one said, it had been a few days since she had gotten one and hoped maybe they would just stop. For over a month she would get a message every day, each one more creepy and daunting then the last. There was also the flowers with no card that she had hoped were from Jason but knew they weren't. Then there was the note in her locker at work and the eyes she could feel watching her at random times when she was shopping or out for a walk. The last text nearly had her driving to the sporting goods store to apply for a permit to carry a gun for protection.

Hesitantly, she flipped the phone open to read her latest taunting message.

_We will b **its fate** our day will come_


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry for the delay on this update. You get a small amouth of history in this chap but there is much more to be told as we move along, so much is different since this fic is a little AU & AH. Enjoy!

Chapter 2

It had been a week, the clerk at the sporting goods store told her she could come back on Friday and if all the paperwork came back clear then she'd be able to walk out that day with the gun. He'd offered her lessons and suggested a good range to practice at but Elizabeth just smiled and ignored everything he said. She wasn't buying a gun to leisurely shoot it at a paper target hanging from a hook, she needed it for protection. It's hard to miss a target when he is on top of you trying to attack you. Besides she'd shot guns before. Over the years Jason had shown her multiple times how to handle a gun and he let her shoot it into the woods a few times when they were in Europe.

Jason had offered to buy her a gun before, or in his words, give her a gun. It wasn't like Jason was the type of person to walk into a sporting goods store and buy a girly 9 mm handgun. His guns were more… manly and probably not legal. The small gun was enough for her, it fit nicely in her large purse and on top of it all she did not want him to know she needed a gun or why she needed it.

Walking out of the sporting goods store she felt empowered. She felt her security was back and she would protect herself and her boys. A weight was lifted and she no longer had to look behind her as she walked back to the hospital. She skipped her normal route along the busy street and opted for a walk through the park, a place she'd avoided in recent months. The park had too many trees and too many places that were private where someone could grab her or hurt her.

The threats had not stopped. They had continued every day even when she changed her phone number. Somehow this person had gotten her new number after only two days of a break from the text messages. It was when she had a note inside her car that she finally took the big step to apply for a handgun permit. That day she called a taxi to take her home. It was difficult to explain to her Grams why she had left her car at work but she claimed her car wouldn't start which gave her the perfect excuse to take it in for service. The next day she drove to the nearest mechanic and had the scruffy old man do a full inspection of every mechanical part of the car. She was afraid to drive it even after the man assured her it was working properly. She was worried a line had been cut or maybe just slit so it would take a few days for the car to die, brakes to fail or it even blow up as she was driving down the road. The paranoia was driving her to the brink.

That was what sent her to the sporting goods store. She had worried most that something would happen to the boys. Arriving back at work from her break she placed her handbag under the desk. She did not feel comfortable leaving it sitting in a locker and at the same time she certainly was not going to leave it in her car. Both placed had been compromised by her stalker. The thought that she had a stalker made her cringe. The word brought back bad memories from when she was a teenager and a man took something that is very special to every young woman. Jason found her that day, it marked the beginning of a very bumpy relationship but she would always remember how he helped her get over her rape. Then, some time later, he was the first man she gave herself to.

After their first summer together where he taught her the true meaning of intimacy and love, Elizabeth had gone to Switzerland for a year. She returned when her grandfather fell ill and her Grams needed help tending to him. Being home felt wrong, things with Jason had changed dramatically in that year and as much as they wanted to be together they just couldn't get it together as a couple. His life had changed, it had grown dangerous. A job that had started as a guard for Sonny had taken on a new role. Jason was a feared mob hitman in the area and although she was not scared of him, the danger around him scared her. Port Charles was her home but Switzerland had so much more. She was so grateful to Ella and Harry and the home they built as well as the home they opened up to her in her time of need. Every chance she got, she returned to Switzerland for a visit.

Thinking about that time of her life saddened her. She'd made so many choices that she questioned every day if they were the right ones. Her biggest struggle was staying away from Jason, the father of her boys. There was a constant draw between them, a fire that could ignite spontaneously like the strike of a match. They had tried to make it work a few times over the years, every time something, someone or some threat always came between them.

"A few of us are heading over to Boomers after work if you'd like to join us." Robin said pulling Elizabeth from her thoughts.

"Boomers?" Elizabeth said with a chuckle. "Aren't we a little old to be dancing on top of a bar with frat boys?"

"That would make us cougars." Robin replied and arched her eyebrows.

"Only if you sleep with them." Dr. Kelly Lee added as she approached the desk where Robin and Elizabeth were talking.

Robin nodded, "And that would make you a cougar then."

"Rawrrr." Kelly said and the three women laughed.

When it grew silent Elizabeth finally nodded, "Fine I will come but just for one drink. My Grams can only take so much of a five year old and a one year old before she passes out exhausted… especially with Jake walking better and better every day. Pretty soon he will be faster then she is."

* * *

After being pulled into two surgeries in a row, Elizabeth was finally finished her shift. Boomers was only five blocks from the hospital and parking was always hard to come buy in that area. The block it was on had a few bars and restaurants and the only parking available was on the street and down a few alleys. Not wanting to deal with parking even further away then she already was, she decided to walk. It wouldn't take her more then ten minutes and after all, she had her protection in her purse.

The first two blocks were bright and fairly busy. She thought about how Kelly was probably already up on the bar allowing some twenty-two year old to take shots out of her belly button. Turning the corner, the next street wasn't as lit as the first. There also were no street lights and most of the businesses were closed so there was no extra lights from the stores lining the sidewalk. She found herself increasing her pace and cursing herself for walking. Sure, the gun made her feel safe but that wasn't an excuse to walk down a darkened street alone at night.

The next street over was much busier with some restaurants so she decided to cut down an alley. The moment she turned off the street her feeling worsened. Someone was behind her, she was sure of it. She could hear the sound of boots on the pavement, or maybe they were men's dress shoes, either way whoever it was seemed to be getting closer. She went from walking fast to running and she looked over her shoulder to see if she could see who was behind her. All she saw was the shadow of a man rushing to catch up with her. He was tall and had dark hair but his face was completely dark, too dark to see especially when she was running so fast.

Immediately she regreted cutting down the alley. It was even darker then the street and she was afraid she was running herself into a corner. The alley split in two directions and she chose the left way hoping it would not come to a dead end. It was then that she realized she'd been screaming but the man following her did not slow, instead he was catching up to her. Without a doubt, this was the person, or man, who had been sending her the messages and gifts.

Elizabeth stumbled on an empty bottle that had been left in the alley and fell into the wall of the building she was running beside. Her forehead crashed into the brick side and a sharp pain shot down the side of her face. She reached into her handbag but it fell from her hands before she could pull out her handgun. With shaking hands she reached around in the dark for the bag she heard fall on the ground.

"I have a gun!" she yelled, hoping it would deter her follower but the footsteps persisted. She felt dizzy as she crawled around in the dark feeling the pavement for the handbag. Her hand slipped past the strap and she hooked the strap under her arm. Standing back up she started jogging as her hand reached into the bag at the same time.

Her hand finally found the gun and she pulled it out. It was dark but she managed to locate the safety. She screamed for help a few more times hoping someone would come and scare away the dark man following her but she heard nobody answer her call for help. Even if someone was there she would not have heard them, the sound of her heart racing and her ears ringing had her distracted.

Her hands were shaking. She lifted the gun when she heard a whisper, "It's just me, we're going to be together." The voice was nobody she knew, at least not that she recognized. His deep voice echoed though the alley even though it was a whisper. He kept repeating the words as he grew closer and with each step she took she felt the voice was coming from another direction.

Cocking the gun she raised it in the air and fired three times straight into the sky.

"I'm not scared." The ghost-like voice taunted. "You wont shoot me."

Elizabeth closed her eyes and turned. She was disoriented. She had turned in so many directions she lost her bearing on where he was. Squeezing the trigger with her eyes closed, she fired one shot directly in front of her.

A split second later there was a loud scream but it was not the scream of a man, it was a female's voice. "No!"

Elizabeth opened her eyes and looked around. A faint light ahead of her cast a shadow on two people, one was on the ground and the other beside them. "Jason!" the woman yelled.

Her stomach dropped and she rushed to them. As she got closer she saw Sam cradling Jason's head in her arms, blood all over one of her hands.

"You shot him! He heard you yelling, he was trying to help!" Sam screamed when Elizabeth came into view.

Elizabeth kneeled beside them and looked at him. The blood was gushing from the side of his head, she had shot Jason instead. "I... I thought he was-."

"How could you!" Sam cried. "You aren't going to get away with this!" Sam scowled. "They are going to come after you, I'll make sure of it."

"It was an accident." Elizabeth quickly replied.

"No it wasn't, Claudia and Sonny won't believe you. We all saw you two arguing about something the other day on the docks." Sam yelled as her bloody hand reached for her cell phone.

Bile rose in her throat and Elizabeth started running. She didn't stop despite Sams screaming after her, the image of Jason haunting her mind. He was going to be ok, the bullet grazed him-she hoped.

Elizabeth didn't stop running until she got to her car. She had to get her boys and get out of town.

At the other end of the alley the man continued hiding in the shadows watching the scene play out. He waited until Elizabeth left to slowly escape unseen. It was his lucky day, not only had he driven Elizabeth Webber to the edge of her sanity but he'd managed to get her to accidentally shoot Jason Morgan. Things were certainly looking up for him.


	3. Chapter 3

Ok, so I know some of you are creeped out by the stalker. The stalker is really just the springboard for this story. Yes you will all find out who it is eventually though.  
I know there are a lot of questions about the history, Sam, Claudia, who Sean is... and all that but just bear with us and you will all learn it and hopefully enjoy it all. There is a lot to tell, a few flashbacks are even coming... soon!

Chapter 3

Was she overreacting? No! It wasn't Sam that worried Elizabeth, it was Claudia. Claudia had the reputation of being as crazy as her father. With Sonny being out of town, that left her in charge. Before they married it would have been Jason running things in Sonny's absence but things had changed the last time Jason tried to leave the business for her after Jake was born. Sonny had married Claudia and he haphazardly agreed that she would be his partner in the business.

Her argument with Jason in public hadn't helped either. It wasn't common that they'd even address each other in public beyond a cordial 'hello' but this day she'd had enough. After running into Jason with Carly and the boys at Kelly's the day before Cameron's birthday party, that Jason could not attend, Elizabeth had lost it. Sure nobody knew that Cameron was Jason's son but he still could have attended as a friend of the family or even tagged along with Emily somehow. In 5 years he had only been to Cameron's birthday twice, once the day he was born and also his third birthday but that was only because they were in Switzerland. Of course nobody knew they were together and Jason had told Sonny he was leaving town for a week or so to clear his head. Regardless, seeing him, again, with Carly and the boys set her off. She waited until Carly left and followed Jason to the docks.

It was bad, she had hit him with her purse and called him every name in the book. The docks weren't crowded but there were a few people that witnessed the argument although they did not know what it was about. She told him it was time to make a decision, all or nothing then she stomped off leaving him to make his choice. He had to chose to be in his boy's lives or stay away… for good.

That was almost a week ago and she hadn't heard from him since. It was wrong to give him an ultimatum but something had to change. Sure he was with Sam now but they weren't serious, it was obvious that he was just with her again because she was there and was constantly throwing herself at him. It didn't matter to her much though, if Jason wanted to be with Sam she could live with that if it meant he would be in the boy's lives.

She pulled her SUV up to her Grams' house. She had stopped home for ten minutes to grab some clothes and toys for the boys. Now she just had to explain things to her grandmother and get to the safe house before Claudia sent her goons after her.

It was an accident, Jason would certainly know it and she was pretty sure Sam knew it as well but Claudia wouldn't know and she was always looking for a new target to set her sights on. She was sure Sam would stretch the truth on what happened in that alley. Sam always seemed jealous of her and Jason even though they had never had a public relationship. Jason even told her that Sam had asked him if Jake was his but he lied and assured Sam that there was nothing between them. Jason always feared that if word got out about her or the boys being special to him that someone would use them as leverage.

"Oh my goodness Elizabeth, what happened to your forehead?" Audrey immediately asked.

Elizabeth had forgotten to clean her face off before leaving her house and hadn't walked in front of a mirror until she looked in the mirror in her grandmothers foyer. She'd fallen good, there was a bruise on the right side of her forehead and an open cut that would account for the dried blood down the side of her temple. "Oh my g…" Elizabeth mumbled and fiercely began wiping at her skin with the cuff of her sweatshirt she had found in the back of her SUV. She used her tongue to wet the cuff and managed to clean it up so she at least did not look like she belonged in a bad slasher movie.

"Liz, what happened?" Audrey asked, the worry clear in her voice.

"Where are the boys?" Elizabeth asked, avoiding her question.

"In the den playing."

Her voice was shaky when she spoke again, "Grams I have to get out of here. We have to go away for a while."

"Ok, Elizabeth, you are scaring me."

"I don't have time to explain everything but Jason is in the hospital, he's been shot."

Audrey's hands went to cover her mouth, "Oh my!"

"I did it." Elizabeth whispered, her voice cracking with emotion. "It was an accident and it was probably wrong of me to run but I had to, I can't take a chance with the boys."

Audrey's hands stayed attached to her mouth and Elizabeth could see the questions forming so she cut them off before they began.

"Grams, you know I'd never hurt him, he is the father of my children. I love him… I-I always will. It was a very big mistake but I will explain it all later because Jason is unconscious and the people he is associated with are not going to listen to me."

"Is he going to be ok?"

Elizabeth nodded unsurely, "It looked like it grazed him but I left before the paramedics got there. I couldn't take the chance of Claudia Corinthos' goons showing up."

Audrey nodded, understanding. Regardless of the decisions her granddaughter had made over the years she had always supported her. For over 14 years Elizabeth had a tumultuous relationship with mob hit man Jason Morgan and Audrey was one of the few people they had confided in with their relationship and the true paternity of her boys. Audrey never judged, she only expressed her desire for Elizabeth to be happy, and at times she was… but it was always short lived. "Where are we going?"

Elizabeth's heart skipped a beat, "We?"

Audrey nodded matter-of-factly, "I'm not letting you do this alone. I'll go get the boys, you finish getting cleaned up." Audrey said, immediately jumping into her protective motherly mode. She was the only mother Elizabeth really knew and she would not have it any other way.

Elizabeth nodded as the tears welled up in her eyes once again, "We're going to my and Jason's house, the safe house."

* * *

"Tell me again what happened." Claudia said with her arms crossed over her chest as she clucked her tongue.

"Elizabeth Webber shot him in the alley behind Alexandros where we went for dinner."

Claudia's eye narrowed, "You, Jason and Elizabeth were going out to dinner?"

"Ew, no!" Sam quickly retorted. "We heard her and he went to see what was going on. We got there and before he could say a word he got hit."

"Then what happened? She ran?"

Sam nodded, leaving out the part where she approached them scared to death that she had just shot Jason. "You're going to make her pay for this right?" Sam asked.

Claudia looked at the woman in front of her. She certainly did not like her but she definitely liked her spunk. "You think I should retaliate?"

"I wouldn't go after her family or kids or anything but are you going to just let her shoot your enforcer?" Sam snapped, her voice raising a bit too much.

Claudia shushed her and quickly looked around the waiting room, "Can you shut it? We are in public and I am not going to talk about putting a hit out on someone in a hospital waiting room."

Sam shook her head, "I just wanted to make sure she pays for what she did tonight."

With a nod, Claudia said, "Oh, she will pay. You can count on that."

"Sam?"

Sam cringed at the voice. Ever since their night together she despised him even more then she did before. He was her mother's husband, well ex-husband now and every time he looked at her she knew he was imagining her naked on the floor with him. "Ric." She coldly said with a nod.

"You were there?"

Sam nodded.

"I'm going to need to take a statement." Ric snidely said.

"Why you, you hate Jason and are probably happy he was shot. Aren't the police supposed to take my statement?"

Ric shrugged, "Well, I happened to be at my office when the call came in so I offered to take the statements. Would you like to do it here or we can go downtown." He snapped.

"I'm not leaving until I know Jason is alright."

"Fine then, can you tell me exactly what happened?"

Sam rolled her eyes and went into a full account of her night. She even told Ric what she and Jason had for dinner and that they were planning on going home to end the night perfectly which gained an eye roll from Ric. "Then Jason heard a scream so we rushed to the alley and before we even saw who was there he was shot."

"How far away was the shooter?"

Sam shook her head, "I don't know… maybe twenty five feet, it was dark."

"Did you get a good look at who it was? Male? Female? Tall? Short? Anything?" Ric asked.

Sam looked behind Ric where Claudia was standing, shaking her head.

"No, I have no idea who it was, they were in the shadows and immediately ran away, I never got a look at them."

Ric's eyes narrowed, "You didn't see anything?" He knew she was withholding information.

"Just Jason's blood, that was all I saw." Sam plainly said.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

***Flashback… Blackout, 2 years ago***

_"Did anybody see you coming up here?" Jason asked as Elizabeth entered the Penthouse._

_Half ignoring his question she just shrugged, "Is Sam here."_

_Jason swallowed hard, "No, she doesn't live here anymore. She is staying at her mothers house."_

_Elizabeth tossed her purse on the desk and flopped down on the couch. "Sorry I'm bothering you but I had nowhere else to go." She managed to choke out. Jason slowly walked over to the couch and sat beside her. She immediately turned into his side._

_"I'm ALWAYS here for you, you know that. What happened?"_

_Elizabeth went into the details of Lucky's addiction and the relationship with Maxie that she had just walked in on. By the time she was finished she'd become detached from it and was beginning to have a numb feeling when she thought about Lucky. "I don't even know why I tried to make it work with him."_

_"What do you mean?" he asked curiously. Jason truly didn't want to hear about her relationships but times when she came to him hurt, he would do anything for her._

_Her head lifted and looked him in the eye, "I knew it would never work because he wasn't you. It was a mistake to marry him when I knew it would never work out." Jason nodded shallowly and she weakly smiled. "Sorry, I didn't know you and Sam broke up." She said, changing the subject._

_Jason's eyebrows lifted and he shook his head, "I walked in on Sam with Ric."_

_Elizabeth's body jerked so she was sitting straight up, "Sam and Ric? Wow… ok you win."_

_Jason shook his head, "It was bound to happen eventually. Sam was always self-destructive and…" his voice trailed off._

_Elizabeth turned to face him, "And what?"_

_Jason's hand lifted to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear then returned to cup her cheek. "And she wasn't you."_

_Elizabeth leaned into his touch and her heart swelled at his words. She knew how he felt and he knew how she felt, it was nice to hear the words sometimes. With her eyes still closed she spoke, "I wish…" but she trailed off and Jason nodded._

_"I know, me too." They stayed like that for a while then he withdrew his hand and sighed. "Where is Cam?"_

_"He is staying at my Grams for a few nights... luckily." She said with a sigh and stood from the couch. "I should get going, I don't want to-"_

_He interrupted her, "Where are you going to go?"_

_She shrugged, "Well I can't go home and it's late so I don't want to wake up my Grams and have to explain everything to her. Maybe a hotel, maybe the on call room at the hospital."_

_Jason immediately stood from the couch, "Just stay here."_

_"What if someone saw me come into the building?"_

_"It's a big building, you could be visiting someone else." He reasoned._

_Her brows pulled together. "You don't think its too dangerous for me to stay?"_

_Jason smiled, "Well you are already here so might as well stay." He took a few steps in her direction. "But I don't know if that is the danger you were talking about."_

_His words sent a jolt of electricity through her. "Yea it probably isn't a good idea for me to stay here." She said in a low voice as she took a step toward him._

_He shook his head, "Definitely not." He hoarsely whispered and stopped in front of her. His hand wrapped around her wrist and squeezed before slowly trailing his fingertips up her arm._

_"B-because in the end we… we can't be together." She managed to mutter as his fingers trailed across her neck and removed the clip that hung lose in her hair. Her eyes lifted and finally met his. They silently waited for the other to back away but they didn't. "Just tonight." She reminded him but it was more her reminding herself._

_"I love you." He whispered as his lips descended on hers._

_"I love you so mu-" before she could complete the last word his lips covered hers._

***End flashback***

Elizabeth shook herself from her thoughts. So often she would think back to the times when she and Jason would actually be on the same page, and be together. The night they made Jake was amazing and full of love and comforting. It did lead to Jason purchasing the safe house so they could meet occasionally. They met and spent time together throughout her pregnancy. When Jake was born Jason made a decision, he was going to leave the mob. In the end, it failed as it had the first time he tried after Cameron was born. It only reiterated the fact that he was serving a life term for the career he chose. He may not be in jail physically but he had to give up the most important part of his life, his family.

In the beginning Elizabeth was sympathetic. They still met at the safe house at least once a month and Jason would spend time with Cameron and Jake. Occasionally they would manage to plan a trip to Switzerland, both telling their friends they were actually going somewhere else. The past few months had been bad though. Jason rarely managed to get away and it had been three months since they met at the safe house. The tension in their relationship was palpable. She resented him, she resented his life and most of all she was angry that he could parade around town with Carly and her boys. Then there was Sam. She couldn't really be angry that he was with Sam, after all she was with Lucky before Jake was born. Sam was just someone that was there and willing. He would never be serious about her no matter how much Sam wanted him to be.

She focused on the road as she drove the long way, avoiding traffic cameras and the busier areas of town. She pulled out her phone.

"Oh sweetheart, you really shouldn't use the phone while you are driving." Audrey maternally said.

"I'll be quick." Elizabeth said, carefully going through her contacts and dialing a number.

"Hello Liz, I was just thinking about you."

"Neil…" Elizabeth said, instantly tearing up. "I need you."

It was not common that Elizabeth would call Neil and immediately ask for help, he knew it must be bad. "Is it one of the boys? Is it Jason?"

She peeked in her rear view mirror to make sure the boys were sleeping before she spoke, "Jason… he's been shot. They think I did it… well I did but it was an accident. Claudia Corinthos is sure to order a…"

"I'm on the plane now Liz, I'll be there by the morning. Do you have somewhere safe to go?" He quickly asked in protective mode. Neil was like a brother to Elizabeth, the protective type of brother every woman should have.

"Yes, I have a house that Jason bought for us. Nobody knows about it. I'm going there. It's on Pine Road, do you know where that is?"

"That's out in the sticks, just inside town right?" he asked, rubbing his hand across his strong brow.

"Yes… 105 is the house number, I'll be parked in the garage."

Neil buckled his seatbelt as the plane prepared to takeoff. "I was just coming into town to pay my uncle a surprise visit, so I'll be there soon. Don't worry sweetheart, I'll take care of everything."

"Please don't tell Sean." Elizabeth quickly blurted out.

"I know you don't want him to worry. I have to call my parents and let them know though." Neil added.

"Please tell Harry and Ella to make sure the news doesn't get to Sean."

"I will, I have to turn my phone off now. I'll call you when I land." Neil said, his worry clear in his voice. He knew Claudia and the Zacharra family by reputation, and that was enough.

"Thank you."


	5. Chapter 5

I'm not going to give excuses, I'm just going to say it has been a rough couple weeks. I'm sorry I haven't gotten time to write and I'm going to try to make it up to you all. You all have A LOT of questions, they will be answered, or at least start to be answered, in coming chapters.  
Thank you all for being patient with me, especially Deb!

Chapter 5

Claudia sat behind Sonny's desk with her perfectly manicured feet propped over the edge of the cherry wood top. Her black peep toe stilettos bobbed up and down as she pondered the move she should make. Sonny was due to return to town within mere hours so she needed to make a decision and stick by it. Being a female in the business was difficult most of the time. None of the men took her serious and the ones that did take her serious were only acting that way to get her into bed, Sonny was not an exception.

She needed to make a statement, to show that she was strong and should be feared as much as the men that she is surrounded by. Sam had already called twice since she left the hospital and she worried that Sam couldn't be trusted… not to mention she was erratic. The woman was not good at discretion which was hard to believe since she used to be a con artist.

"Maaaxx!" Claudia called as she lowered her feet to the floor and stood from the desk.

Within a few seconds Max entered the room. "What is it Mrs. C."

Claudia hated being called Mrs. C., probably because that was the same name he used for Carly and she personally felt that she was hundreds of steps better then Carly. "Max, I want you to call the guys. Tell them that the nurse needs to be found and handled."

"Handled?" Max asked hesitantly.

Claudia nodded, "Do you need me to spell it out for you?" she sarcastically asked.

"Are you sure this is the right way to handle this. Miss Webber is a highly regarded nur-"

She cut him off, "I don't care what she is. She shot one of our own men. She shot him and she ran. Running is the number one sign of guilt and intent. What would it say about our organization if we let her just walk away?"

"What if it was an accident and Liz ran because she was scared?" Max reasoned.

"First, you are not here to question my orders. Second, accident or not she had a gun. I don't know about you but I don't carry a gun unless I'm willing to use it." Claudia ticked off on her fingers. "There is no negotiation. Find her and take care of her."

Max nodded reluctantly, "Ok, I'll get the word out."

* * *

Neil sipped the extra large coffee his driver had waiting for him when his plane landed. On the plane Neil had called his parents and explained the situation. They were all worried for Elizabeth but it was Ella that expressed her worry for Jason. This was a lot and she hoped he had the strength to make things right both with Elizabeth and the danger she was now in. Neil, on the other hand, had his doubts about Jason. He knew Jason both as a Quartermaine and a Morgan and as the years went on he seemed to have a problem with his priorities. As most men grow older family becomes the main priority but with Jason that was not the case. He could use the danger as an excuse all he wanted but it was clear where his loyalty was… with his job.

Neil had no problem voicing his feelings to Jason about his lack of loyalty to his family. They got along great except where Liz and the boys were concerned.

Neil exited the sedan and nodded to the driver. He climbed into the waiting Mercedes and didn't make it out of the parking lot before his cell phone rang.

"Yea?"

"Neil?"

"Hey mom." He mumbled as he pulled onto the highway.

"I take it you have landed… no put that under the plane, I'll just carry on this bag." She said, interrupting herself to offer directions to someone else.

"Mom, are you at the airport?" he quickly shot.

"Yes." She only said.

"All of you are coming?" Neil hesitantly asked, already knowing the answer by the tone of her voice.

"Yes." Was all she said again.

"You told him?"

Ella sighed, "He overheard our call this morning. There was nothing we could do. You know how stubborn he is, he would have come by himself somehow."

Neil sucked in a deep breath, "Ok. I'm on my way to get Elizabeth but I'm going to stop by the hospital on the way. Hopefully Jason is awake."

"Give him our well wishes." Ella graciously said.

"Well mom, it looks like you'll be able to do that yourself soon enough. Call me when you land."

"Very well. I'll see you tonight."

* * *

Jason blinked hoping his eyes would adjust to the bright lights in the room and soothe the pounding in his head.

"If your head is hurting we can give you something for the pain. The bullet may have just grazed your head but it still caused a pretty good concussion." Dr. Drake said.

The pain in his head was compounded when he tried to remember what happened. He pressed his palms against his forehead.

As if he sensed Jason's confusion, Patrick coldly explained, "You were shot in the alley behind Alexandros."

"Sam?" Jason asked.

"Sam is fine, she called 911. She just left to get a little rest but said that if you woke up to let you know she will be back in a couple hours."

Jason was relieved, even though they were not in a serious relationship, he didn't want anyone to get injured because of their association with him.

Patrick continued, "And as long as all of the tests come back ok then you'll be released later today or tomorrow morning. I'd tell you that you will need to take it easy but I guess that would be pointless."

Jason glared at Patrick and his smugness through the pain but Patrick ignored him. "I'll stop back in later today to go over the results."

Jason nodded and closed his eyes again, hoping he would remember why he was in the alley. He remembered walking down the street with Sam… oh, there was a woman screaming. Squeezing his eyes tighter, he rubbed his hand down his face and struggled to remember. Was someone being robbed? No. The image of Elizabeth popped into his head at that moment. The voice of the screams, it was her voice. Her eyes were closed and it was obvious she was scared. She hadn't meant to shoot him, there was something else going on, someone else was in that alley with them.

"Jason?"

The voice was not Patrick's and it was a familiar voice. Jason's eyes opened and he saw Patrick was not standing by his bed, he had left the room and now another man was standing there, a man he did not expect. "Neil."

Neil walked into the room and closed the door behind him. "We have a problem."

"What are you doing here?"

Neil crossed his arms over his chest, "Why do you think? I just landed and I'm on my way to pick up Elizabeth, Cam and Jake to get them to a safe place."

"Safe place?" Jason asked, still confused.

Neil shook his head, "Danger, danger." He mocked. "You are constantly lecturing her about the danger but you can't keep it from her all the time. I don't know all the details but basically your associates are going to look for payback for shooting you so she needs to be protected. I just spoke to Joey, he is on his way."

"Do you think that's necessary? I can handle this without Joey. I can make sure they don't retaliate, it was clearly an accident."

Neil nodded, "Joey actually called me to inform me that a hit was ordered on Liz."

"What!" Jason barked causing his head to throb again.

"Claudia doesn't give a damn who it was, she wants to make a statement, Jason. Elizabeth needs protection and you obviously cannot do that."

"I'll get her to cancel the order." Jason reasoned, overwhelmed with the situation.

"Yea, you do that." Neil sarcastically said. "Although I'm sure you'll screw it up, you always screw things up when it comes to Liz."

"I didn't ask for this to happen, I don't want any of this happening to her." Jason paused for a second. "Why did she have a gun? Where did she get it from?"

"You never gave her a gun?" Neil quickly asked.

"No."

Neil sighed, "I don't know." There was a long silence as both of the men were obviously trying to figure out why she would be carrying a gun. "Well I have to get over there to get her. Call me when you get out of here and let me know the situation."

"Where are you taking them?" Jason asked.

"Don't worry about it. Somewhere they will be safe." Neil turned to leave but stopped at the door and turned back. "You may want to be prepared, Harry and Ella are coming in tonight."

"Your parents? What about…"

"Yep, everyone is coming with them." Neil left it at that and walked out, bumping into Carly on the way out. "Excuse me."

Carly's eyes narrowed and she pushed passed Neil into Jason's room. "Oh my god Jason, are you OK?" she screeched as she ran to his bedside and hugged him then examined the bandage on his head. "Who was that, he looked familiar."

Jason brushed her off by shaking his head.

Annoyed that he avoided the question, she moved on to another, "How the hell did this happen? Who did this?" she asked with he hands on her hips.

Jason's head pushed back into the pillow. This was not what he needed to deal with right now.


	6. Chapter 6

To answer a few questions, Sean is not Sean Donnely nor is he Johnny O. Sean, Neil, Joey and the others are all new characters and we promise you will find out who they all are soon... it is coming in the next few chapters!

So... this chap is flashback but it is a fluffy one, you get to find out how Cameron came about ;)

Chapter 6

Flashback 6 years ago…

_Elizabeth tapped her shot glass on the table signaling that she was ready for another shot._

_Jason laughed, "Are you sure you want more… you look like you're already, uh feeling it." Jason joked taking in her appearance. Her hair was falling out of her ponytail and her cheeks were rosy. Not to mention she hadn't stopped laughing, especially when she nearly fell off her chair just a few short minutes ago._

_"I think you're fffeeling it too, Mr. Morgan. You have done one for two every I have, um, you know what I mean." She waved him off._

_"You mean I have done twice as many." He explained as he filled both of their glasses. _

_They had arrived in Switzerland late in the evening so everyone turned into bed not long after their arrival leaving them still on Port Charles time and wide awake. Of course they immediately started drinking to get past the awkwardness they had both been feeling for the painfully long plane ride._

_Elizabeth reached for her glass and knocked it over sending a stream of tequila over the edge of the table and onto Jason's pants. "Oops." She said through her roaring laughter._

_Jason could not help but laugh with her. Part of it was the alcohol and the other, much larger part, was the feeling he always had with her. They had fun and knew each other so well. He stood from the table and grabbed a towel from the counter behind him. When he turned around she was still laughing. "It looks like you… like you... p-" She was laughing so hard that she couldn't get her words out._

_He leaned back against the counter with his arms crossed over his chest, amused that she was laughing so hard that tears were forming in her eyes. "I think we should try to get some sleep. Everyone will be up in a few hours."_

_She pointed at his pants, "And you obviously are having trouble controlling your bladder." She managed to get out then stood and grabbed the bottle._

_Jason's head turned on an angle, "Wh-what are you doing?"_

_Shaking her head, she took a wobbly step toward him, "What?" she asked with a not-so-innocent look on her face._

_He watched her trying to stand steady, trying not to look as drunk as she really was. She was sexy even when she was practically falling down drunk, standing in the kitchen drinking directly from the tequila bottle. Obviously she felt as though she hadn't had enough yet. She dramatically flipped the bottle from her lips and made an "ahhh" sound._

_Rolling his eyes, he grabbed the bottle from her and mimicked her move, leaving out the "Ahh"._

_She arched an eyebrow, "You look sexy doing that… all bad boy getting drunk with the innocent nurse."_

_Jason took another long pull on the tequila, he needed more to help process her flirtation. They were walking on the edge of a cliff that had been mighty dangerous in the past. "But you aren't exactly the innocent little nurse are you?" he flirted back._

_Her voice grew husky as a sobering tingle flowed through her, "And you aren't really a bad boy." She said and took a step toward him and leaned her side against the counter beside him._

_Jason's eyes flashed to her lips then back to her eyes, "I-I think we should go to bed." He whispered._

_That eyebrow of hers arched again, "Should we?"_

_Jason shook his head, "Not like that." He explained and brought a hand to her face. "I don't want you to regret anything tomorrow."_

_His hand lingered on her cheek for long enough to tell her he wanted her as much as she wanted him. "It isn't anything we haven't done before. It has been a long time and we've both grown up but I can assure you that I won't regret it."_

_Jason swallowed hard and took another swig from the bottle, "We should probably get some sleep."_

_"Wow, sssshot down." She slurred and turned around to leave the kitchen but Jason grabbed her arm causing her to lose her balance. She fell onto the ground but didn't look up at him, "Ow, my ass!" she moaned._

_He couldn't help the smile that formed, "I'm sorry." He said with a chuckle and kneeled down in front of her, offering her his hand to help her up. "And I didn't shoot you down, I just don't think it's a good idea. I don't want you to get hurt."_

_"Don't think." She repeated._

_"No I don't."_

_"No." she corrected him. "Don't think… as in just go with it."_

_He wanted to, there was no doubt about that but they both knew it was going nowhere so why play with fire. "Elizabeth."_

_"Jason." She mocked then waved her hand at him. "Fine just carry me upstairs then." Jason's eyebrows raised. "I don't feel like walking, I'm too tired."_

_He looked at her with hesitation but he ended up walking around to her side and easily scooping her into his arms. Cradling her, he began to walk through the large house to the grand staircase that led to the bedrooms. Her arms hooked around his neck and she rested her head on his shoulder purposely pressing her lips and nose against the bare skin of his neck. She may have been drunk or at least buzzed but she knew exactly what she was doing. She was doing exactly what she wanted to do and may not have had the nerve to do if she was sober._

_Her fingertips brushed through the short spiky hair high on his neck. She softly sighed his name and he stopped to look at her when she lifted her face from his neck. "Kiss me."_

_He could never deny her. He knew when they were in the kitchen that if she had made any physical move toward him that he wouldn't be able to turn her away. The attraction he felt toward her only grew each time he saw her. His lips found hers for a long, lingering, pillow-soft kiss but it was all they needed. The small spark from the kiss ignited a flame that was immediately burning out of control. Jason found himself leaning against the stair railing for balance as he kissed her fiercely and she returned the kiss with the same passion. Her hands held his lips to hers not allowing him to break the kiss, not that he wanted to. _

_Out of fear that they'd both end up tumbling down the steps, Jason managed to find the last three stairs to get them to the top. Once at the top, Elizabeth somehow managed to lift herself and maneuver her legs around him so she was straddling him. _

_She immediately ground her hips into his causing him to lose his balance and bump into the hallway table. A silver candleholder fell on the wood floor and echoed through the hallway. Elizabeth pulled her lips from his and laughed into his neck as he rushed down the hallway to the bedroom she was staying in._

_Her torture was causing him to lose the small amount of control he had left. After kicking the door closed, he placed her on the ground with her back against it. He rushed to unbutton her jeans and pull them down her legs. She did the same, unfastening his belt and button, his pants immediately fell, pooling around his ankle. He knew she deserved more and he would definitely make it up to her when they finally made it to the bed. Right now he needed her and she eagerly hooked her legs back around his hips when he lifted her into his arms and pressed her back against the door. Her hands fisted in his short spikes anticipating his next move when she felt him pressing against her center._

_Jason took her lips again, his tongue seeking out hers as he pressed into her. Her gasp was masked by his mouth as he kissed her senseless while he gave her a few short moments to adjust to his size. She squeezed her legs around him, pushing him deeper. He kissed from her jaw line to her neck as he began to move, slamming her back against the door with each thrust. Her hips met his and he knew she was already getting close from how roughly her fingers were fisting his hair._

_"Oh… Jason…" she moaned and he quickly kissed her again to muffle both of their moans so they wouldn't wake anyone. Moments later the tremors hit her first and he followed quickly behind._

_After a short recovery leaning against the door, Jason carried her to the bed with short steps that were limited by the jeans stuck around his ankles. He fell forward once at the bed, dropping her from his arms and they both laughed as he caught himself so he was hovering over her. Eventually the giggles subsided leaving them staring into each other's eyes._

_"I missed you." Elizabeth whispered, smoothing her hand down his cheek._

_Jason's head dipped and he softly pressed his lips against hers. "Me too."_

_"And I won't regret this." She assured him. "I still love you Jason, how could I regret this… even if it is just tonight."_

_Jason shallowly nodded his head and brought his hands to hold hers, "I love you too… no regrets."_

…End Flashback

Elizabeth shook herself from her thoughts as she watched Cameron eat his pop tarts. She was glad there was some food at the safe house for the boys to eat although she certainly had no appetite. There was a knock on the front door and she tensed up. This was going to be a rough day.


	7. Chapter 7

Thank you all for the feedback and your patience as this story rolls along. I promise there will be answers... we are so close and there is more history to tell, a lot more. As things go along you will also find out that the history is much different all the way back to the beginning. I already have mentioned in another chap that it was Jason that found Liz after the rape, that changes a lot from that point on. Just give us a few more chapters and the full backstory will be out!

Chapter 7

"Are you ok?" Neil asked, stuck in a hug with Elizabeth that she obviously needed.

She didn't speak her reply but he felt her head shake .

"I just saw him. I stopped at the hospital on my way here."

Elizabeth immediately backed out of the hug and looked up at Neil with a shocked expression, "You saw him? Is he ok?"

"He was fine, you were right, the bullet just grazed him. He has other things to worry about besides the minor damage to his perfect hairline."

"Does he know everything that happened?"

"He knows it was an accident, we both do. What we both can't figure out, Liz, where did you get the gun?" Neil sighed. "Jason said he didn't give it to you."

Elizabeth turned and walked to the other side of the room, "The sporting goods store." She explained as she busied herself picking up the puzzle Cameron had been working on.

"Why?"

Elizabeth grunted then fell onto the couch. After looking over her shoulder to make sure the boys were still in the other room with Audrey, Elizabeth explained, "I had someone that was… a stalker."

"What! Tell me."

She nodded, "It really was just some text messages and some flowers."

"That explains your new number." Neil said, walking to sit beside her on the couch.

"But that didn't stop it, Neil. It only took a few days for the messages to start again so he managed to get my new number. And sometimes I could feel him following me."

"Why didn't you tell me, you could've called me."

She shook her head, "You were across the ocean, there was nothing you could've done."

"Why didn't you tell Jason?"

"No, I couldn't."

Neil nodded, "Yes you could've. I know Jason and no matter what is going on he would've stopped everything to help you. As much as he is an asshole and has completely been a fuck up when it comes to you, he would do anything to protect you. After all, that is his twisted reasoning for staying away." Neil was quiet for a few seconds before he continued. "So you just bought a gun, huh?"

"Yea, I had actually just gotten it, then…" she paused before deciding to just tell him the rest, "Then I was meeting a friend for a drink after work last night. He was there."

"The stalker?"

She nodded, "He was following me. I could hear the footsteps getting closer and I started running but I just wasn't fast enough. I ended up in the alley and it was dark, I was disoriented after I kind of stumbled into the wall of a building."

"That's how you got that cut on your head?"

"Yup. His voice was everywhere and taunting me. So I just freaked out fired the gun but I screwed up, I was facing the wrong direction. Oh god, Neil, I shot Jason." Elizabeth nearly whimpered. "He must have heard me screaming and came running."

Neil's arm came to rest over her shoulders, "It's ok, he is ok. We will take care of you. But… whoever was following you, he had to have seen what happened."

Her eyes widened at the revelation, "Oh my god, I didn't even think of that."

"Don't worry about it, we will find out who he is and something tells me he won't be running to the police to tell them what happened."

Elizabeth's brows pulled together, "What do you mean?"

Neil's hand tensed on her shoulder, "You said Sam was there with Jason, well she didn't tell the cops that you were the one that shot him, she said she didn't see who it was… so the PCPD aren't looking for you."

"Wh-why would… because… Claudia?"

Neil nodded. "Jason is going to deal with Claudia but in the meantime we need to get you out of here and somewhere safer. Joey has a house just outside of town, or should I say, a compound. We are going to head over there as soon as you are ready."

Elizabeth nodded, still trying to process everything that happened.

"I'm going to step outside and make a few phone calls while you get everyone ready." He explained as he stood from the couch.

Elizabeth sighed and leaned forward to rest her elbows on her knees. Her head fell forward and she covered her face with her hands.

Neil pat her head before walking away, "Don't worry kid, it's going to be ok."

* * *

"What the hell is going on?" Sonny snapped as he entered Jason's hospital room, closing the door behind him. As always, Jason was silent and let Sonny continue. "I'm back in town for five minutes and I find out that you have been short and Claudia has ordered a hit on Elizabeth Webber. Aren't you kind of friends with her?"

"Something like that." Jason answered.

"What happened?"

Jason shrugged, "I don't know but I don't think it was Elizabeth's fault."

"Are you saying you want Claudia to call off the hit?" Sonny asked.

"Look, I know she is just trying to prove a point Sonny-" Before Jason could continue his thought, the phone on the table beside his bed rang. "Morgan." Jason snapped, confused that anyone would call his hospital room.

"Are you alone?"

"No." Jason replied.

"Ok, I only have a minute, she had a… or has a stalker. He was following her last night and chased her into that alley. He most likely saw everything that happened so I need help finding him and taking care of him." Neil explained.

"I'll handle it… but why…" Jason's voice trailed off.

"Why didn't she come to you?" Neil asked, knowing Jason's question. "Obviously because she didn't have faith that you'd help her, asshole. I'm taking her somewhere safe now, I'll contact you later."

The line went dead and Jason hung up the phone. Elizabeth had been in danger for who knows how long and she hadn't come to him. The thought sent a dagger into his heart.

"Who was that?" Sonny asked.

Jason shook his head brushing off the question which immediately annoyed Sonny. "I need to get out of here." Jason mumbled.

"Are they going to release you today?" Sonny asked.

"Supposedly. I tried to just leave about an hour ago but that head nurse, Epiphany or something, she caught me and threatened to call security if I didn't get back in bed."

"And you listened?"

Jason shrugged, "She blocked the doorway."

Sonny smiled, "Ok well I will go try to find a doctor to get you released. Then I will go talk to Claudia but I don't think I will change her mind, she is trying to prove a point and when she sets her mind to something, its hard to stop her. I may have to let her win this battle though, to let her think she has some sort of control." Sonny explained, shrugging of Elizabeth's life as though it meant nothing. Jason did not feel the same way though and would stop Claudia no matter how he had to.

"Well, see what you can do." Jason said, trying to sound calm. Sonny, like most of the rest of town, knew nothing about Jason's history with Elizabeth. It was common knowledge that they were friends but anything beyond that was kept to a strict few that protected the secret or were blackmailed to keep the secret.

"Is there more going on here then you are telling me?" Sonny asked but Jason didn't answer. "Jason, we don't need to be on the cops radar any more then we already have been lately. If there is something else going on then you need to tell me."

"There is nothing else that would effect the business." Jason carefully explained.

Sonny accepted his answer with a nod then turned on his heels, "I'll be in touch."


	8. Chapter 8

So we got anxious and moved a few things up... And Sean is...

Chapter 8

"This is gweat!" Cameron screamed as he ran across the large yard to the play set. Well, it wasn't exactly a play set, it was more like an entire playground. There were swings, a seesaw, 4 slides, tire swings and so much more. Obviously Joey had a large family that included many children that probably spent a lot of time playing in the yard of the compound.

Elizabeth couldn't help but smile as Jake followed slowly on still unsteady feet. He'd only been walking a few months so he still could not keep up pace with his older brother. As soon as they arrived and were shown to their rooms, Audrey had excused herself to lay down for a nap. She'd had a long night and morning causing her to be exhausted. Once it was Elizabeth, Joey and Neil standing on the patio they finally began to discuss what was to come.

"Neil is going to head to the airport and I'm going to pay Sonny a little visit. I think it's time to tell you the rest." Joey said to Elizabeth.

Her eyes narrowed, "What do you mean the rest?"

Neil nodded and sucked in a deep breath, "Well we kind of have another… actually you kind of have another family dilemma. I talked to my mom this morning when I landed… She was boarding a plane…"

* * *

"Why, Claudia?"

"It needs to be handled Sonny. What does it say bout us if we just let her get away with it?"

Sonny shook his head, "As far as I know the only ones that know it was Elizabeth Webber is us, Jason and Sam."

"So."

Sonny shook his head, "So, killing an innocent woman doesn't prove a point, it shows we are reckless."

"It shows we take no shit!" she yelled back then tossed her hands in the air. "Jesus Sonny, are you a boss or a freaking coward. In this business it is kill or be killed."

"You are overreacting, Claudia. She is a harmless nurse."

"No I'm not. If word got out that we knew who did this and didn't retaliate then we are opening the organization to…"

Sonny raised his hand to stop her, "You are on a power trip Claudia. I'm done having this conversation."

"Are you going to cancel my orders?" Claudia asked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Sonny shrugged, "It may be too late."

There was a knock on the door and Max peeked his head in, "Joey Albeto is here to see you, boss."

Sonny's brows pulled together, "He is, huh. Send him on in." Sonny ordered then stood from his desk to meet Joey at the door. He nodded to Claudia to leave the room and after an eye roll she left. Joey was not an overweight man, but very large. He was tall and probably a solid 250 pounds. He would always count on his size as a little extra intimidation when doing his business dealings, although it did not work with past dealings with Sonny and Jason. As many people knew, Jason was not easily intimidated.

Joey met Elizabeth while in the hospital. As it turned out, they had a lot in common, at least they did as far as Harry, Ella and Neil were concerned. Joey had been involved with many business dealings with Harry in the 1980s, while he was still partially legitimate and because of that, they became friends. Joey had visited them many times over the years since they moved to Switzerland. Originally Jason was not fond of the fact that Joey was in on the secrets, that he knew about his sons, but Elizabeth trusted him and more importantly, Harry trusted him. Harry was wise and there weren't many other men in the world that Jason respected more then Harry. "Joey, what brings you down here? Looking for a good cup of coffee?" Sonny asked as he extended his hand.

Joey took Sonny's hand and firmly shook, "I wish it was better terms. Can we get some privacy?"

Sonny immediately nodded and closed the door to his office.

"I didn't want to take this to a five-family meeting. I wanted to come down here and talk to you first, to let you know where I stand."

Sonny frowned, "I'm not sure I follow. Has there been some sort of threat?"

Joey nodded then shook his head when Sonny motioned to the chair in front of his desk. Joey didn't sit, he rarely sat when he was talking business… another intimidation tactic of his. "Jason Morgan was shot last night." Joey stated but Sonny took that as a question.

"Yes but that is being handled." Sonny replied.

Joey quickly spoke, "But that is where I come in. I am here to respectfully ask you to call off your hit on Liz Webber."

"You know her?" Sonny asked, confused.

"She is a friend of the family. I can assure you that if she was involved in what happened to Jason last night, it was clearly an accident. She is a good, honorable woman and mother, I don't want to see her or her boys hurt."

Sonny nodded, "I'll consider it."

Joey squared his shoulders and crossed his arms over his chest, "Perhaps I misspoke Sonny. Elizabeth Webber is under my protection. Any move against her will be considered a move against me." His nostrils flared as his eyes darkened, "Are you willing to risk a war over an accident?"

Sonny's fingertips rubbed against his chin as he shook his head, "I'm sure we could work something out."

"There is nothing to work out, call it off, ensure her safety or I will be forced to deal with the situation." Joey growled then turned and stormed out of the office.

* * *

"You'll need to take this for ten days." Patrick said as he handed Jason a script for an antibiotic. "The stitches I used are dissolving so there is no need to have them removed."

Jason was already standing when Patrick was speaking.

"Epiphany has some paperwork you will need to fill out on your way out but other then that you are free to go… unless you have a question for me."

Jason shook his head as he turned to walk out of the room. He literally ran into Sam and Carly, separately but at the same time, turning the corner into his room. Carly immediately barreled past Sam and threw her arms around Jason. "How do you feel?"

"Better." Jason simply answered, his mind already on what needed to be handled. Standing there with Carly and Sam was not his priority.

"Well, I came to pick you up and take you home." Sam coolly said.

Jason shook his head, "I'm not going home. I have some things to take care of."

"What do you mean you have things to take care of? You need to go home and rest!" Sam snapped.

Jason rubbed his hand down his face as he started walking, oblivious to the fact that in a matter of seconds his life was going to take a dramatic turn upside down. Port Charles' best kept secret was about to come out.

* * *

"Excuse me ma'am, can you tell me what room Jason Morgan is in?"

Epiphany looked up from her paperwork and her jaw dropped when she looked at the person in front of her.

Sean looked over his shoulder at the entourage that was with him. It was an argument all the way from the airport but in the end he won and Neil steered them there. He knew there was going to be a huge fallout but he didn't care. He needed to see him for himself.

"423." Was all Epiphany managed to say and she pointed to the hallway.

Sean turned and started down the hallway, his entourage waiting a few seconds to give him privacy. Sean only got a few steps before Jason walked around the corner followed by two bickering loud mouths. Jason stopped and so did the women. Time paused for a few seconds as Jason, Sam, Carly and everyone else around them stared at Sean. He was young, no older then 13 or 14. His hair was a bright golden blonde, he was tall with the most piercing blue eyes that mirrored only one other person they knew.

Sean rushed down the hallway and fell into Jason's arms, "Oh god dad, I had to come here… I had to see you."

Carly nearly fainted because there was no doubt in her mind that this was Jason's son and from the way he was hugging the boy back, Jason had been keeping quite the secret.


	9. Chapter 9

So, this should have been 2 chapters but I just couldn't split it up so you get a double chapter tonight. Unfortunately you have to wait until chapter 10 for the fallout at the hospital. I promise I will get it finsihed as soon as I can! Instead chapter 9 will give you Sean's story... or some of it at least. His whole story would take chapters and chapters to tell... you all will get it all eventually!  
Love the feedback on the last chapter and I hope you are all happy with the story so far. Just a reminder this fic is slightly AU/very AH! Also, along with that you will find that Jason has a slightly better relationship with the Qs, they play a good part in this fic!

ENJOY!

Chapter 9

Elizabeth paced around the Livingroom with Jake on her hip. Each time she passed the window she peeked at the long driveway that led to the front gate. They still hadn't gotten there and Neil had left a couple hours ago, he should have been back by now. Having Sean in town made her nervous, one look at Sean and everyone would know he was Jason's and that would lead them to question Jake and Cameron…

Flashback, about 14 years ago…

_At first she was hesitant. She was seventeen and perfectly capable of taking care of herself for a month. Her grandmother was leaving town for a month to stay with her grandfather while he was at rehab for his broken hip. Emily was the one that suggested she stay with her at the mansion but the house was so overwhelming, although it was not as overwhelming as the family. Not wanting her to be living in her gram's house alone for a month, Jason joined forces with Emily and talked her into coming to stay. _

_Only a few months before, Jason had found her. She had been raped, violated in the worst possible way and Jason was nothing but there for her. He stayed by her side and they had formed a friendship since, as well as a connection that they both denied at first._

_Elizabeth quickly learned that Emily snuck out almost every night to meet Nicolas. She'd be gone until around dawn leaving Elizabeth alone in the big house. At first she was mad because even though she wasn't sitting at her Grams' house alone, she was still alone… just in a much bigger house. Then, the nights Jason came home, they'd hang out, talk and they even started going for rides on the motorcycle he'd just bought. He was going through a hard time because the family found out that he'd began working for Sonny Corinthos, infamous mob boss. He was just a runner but it was a job he enjoyed, a job where he felt useful. Elizabeth would listen to him without judgment just as he did for her._

_On a ride one night, after she stumbled getting off the bike and scraped her knee, he kissed her. Of course, Jason had immediately apologized but they both felt the electricity in the quick kiss they shared. _

_Elizabeth quietly walked down the long hallway that led to Jason's room. It had been two days since the kiss and Jason hadn't been back to the house since. Last night she had gotten herself so worked up and finally built up enough nerve to go to his room but he wasn't there. Tonight she was trying again. She gently tapped on his door and was surprised when it jerked open._

_"Hey." He said in a low voice and stepped aside so she could enter his room. Not wanting to make her uncomfortable, he hesitated whether he should leave the door open but in the end he closed it so his family would not hear them talking._

_"Hi, how are you?"_

_Jason sat on the edge at the foot of his bed, "Busy couple days."_

_Elizabeth nodded, "Look, about the other night, I um…"_

_Jason shook his head, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you or take advantage of you. I guess I got carried away."_

_"No… Jason, don't be sorry. I'm not."_

_"But with everything that has happened to you…" he trailed off, not finishing his thought._

_"Jason, I've gotten past that. I've gotten past that because of you. You saved me that night and took care of me and made me feel like a person and you listened to me and I haven't had that, I don't think ever." She rambled and walked over so she was standing in front of him. "I am so grateful for you." She said as his eyes lifted to meet hers._

_Jason didn't know what to say._

_She took a long, deep breath for courage, "And I felt something when we kissed the other night, Jason."_

_He felt it too, although he didn't say it… at least not at that moment._

_She squeezed her eyes closed, "And Jason… at the end of the summer I'm leaving for college and everything is going to change, I'll be staying in the dorms with meathead fraternity boys and caddy sorority girls. I trust you Jason and I know you respect me and I know I already had my virginity stolen from me but… but I want to experience how it's supposed to feel." She felt her knees trembling but continued on, "Jason, I may not physically be a virgin but I still am and I want you to…"_

_His hand grabbed hers and he felt a knot in his stomach as he struggled with her proposition. There was no doubt in his mind that he was attracted to her. She was beautiful, funny and compassionate. "Elizabeth, I don't want you to get hurt. I don't think you know what you are asking."_

… End flashback

Elizabeth shook her head as she remembered that night at the Quartermaine mansion. It was such a long time ago, so much had changed… and that summer started it all. She looked down at Jake, a spitting image of his brother, Sean, and his father, and kissed his forehead. "Where is your brother?"

Flashback, 14 years ago…

_It had been two more days since Elizabeth went to Jason's room. She had offered herself to him, she asked him to show her what making love really was. He had turned her down. Sure she saw reluctance in his eyes but his reasoning of sparing her from being hurt was lost on her because she didn't hear any of it. _

_Things changed after that. For two days they hadn't talked even though he had stayed at the mansion both nights. Earlier that day she had been tanning down by the pool and looked up to find him staring at her through the window in the solarium. Did he feel guilty or maybe regret his decision? She didn't care. Elizabeth was not one to grovel, especially under these circumstances. She did not play the desperate woman well._

_After dinner, she and Emily watched a movie before she left the house to meet Nicolas again. Elizabeth went back to her room and pulled out the copy of Wuthering Heights she'd grabbed while she was perusing the library. The book turned out to be rather good and she read for a while, unable to put it down. She was completely thrown off-guard when there was a soft tap on her door just after 1. Once she marked her page, she got off the bed and opened it, prepared for the awkwardness that was sure to follow._

_"Hi… uh can we talk?"_

_She nibbled on her bottom lip as she stepped aside so he could enter the guest room she was staying in. "What's up?" she asked with a coolness in her voice. She crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed because she was afraid he'd see the shakiness in her legs._

_"I'm sorry for the other night, for you, for me… just sorry." He said, squatting in front of her so his eyes were level with hers. When she didn't reply or look up at him, he continued, "Believe me when I say this Elizabeth, it was very hard to say no." she finally looked up then. "Because I want to too, I just… I don't want you to get hurt. You've been hurt enough."_

_She sat staring at him for over a minute, her heartbeat pounding harder with each passing second. "Bu…" she cleared her throat when it cracked. "But you did anyway."_

_His hand lifted to cup her cheek, "I didn't mean for you to get hurt. You've been through so much." Her eyes were his undoing. He had only come to her room to apologize but now he wasn't sure if he could leave._

_She brought her hand up and held onto his wrist, "Then make me forget about it Jason. Give me a better memory." Her hand tightened around his wrist as he stood back up. She thought he was going to leave… but he didn't. Instead he pulled her to her feet and wrapped his arm around her waist. Then, he kissed her senseless. Never in all of her life had she experienced a kiss that left her unable to think… and unable to stand. His arm around her waist supported her and she brought her own arms around his neck as she tried to keep up with his kisses. Her entire body was buzzing as every nerve ending came alive. His hands slid under the seam of her tank top, gently caressing the skin of her lower back before returning to the material. Their kiss ended abruptly so he could pull the tank top over her head and she raised her arms in the air to assist him. Before his lips returned to hers, his eyes drifted to her breasts. She hadn't been wearing a bra so her upper body was completely exposed to him. "Perfect. You are so beautiful." He whispered. Elizabeth immediately blushed and pulled her arms tight around him, hiding her face in his t-shirt and pressing her naked breasts against him, completely unaware of what the feeling did to him. Jason cupped her chin and tipped her face up so her eyes met his. "You are beautiful Elizabeth and if we are going to do this you're going to have to accept… and believe what I say."_

_Her eyes slowly closed but then opened again and found him still looking down at her. She finally nodded then brought her own hands down his chest to grab his t-shirt and pull it over his head. He helped her lift it up his body then lifted her body against his. The feeling of their warm bodies pressed together caused Elizabeth to sigh as his lips found hers again. Her feet were no longer on the ground so she lifted her legs and wrapped them around his waist. It was then that she first felt how turned on he was. Her cotton shorts were thin and though his jeans he pressed against her center. The feeling sent a new sensation through her, a tightening low in her body._

_Jason tipped them down so she was laying on the bed with him on top of her. He carefully held his weight on his arms so he didn't crush her. Unable to stop himself, he ground himself into her center and was rewarded when she moaned along with him._

_He kissed her jaw then stopped to look into her eyes. "If you want me to stop just let me know." He huskily whispered. _

_There was a rawness in his voice that shocked her. Her hands wrapped around the back of his head and pulled his lips back down to hers. Jason scooted them so she was laying in the middle of the bed then pulled his mouth from hers. She felt his soft lips slowly trail down her neck, across her collarbone and finally reached the swell of her breast. Her hands still held his head and her fingertips threaded through his short spikes. He briefly lifted his head and met her eyes for permission and she very softly whispered his name. Suddenly his lips came in contact with the hard peak of her breast. He licked, nipped and sucked the hardened tip until an ache formed within her that she could not explain. She whimpered his name, then he moved and showed the other the same attention._

_Her entire body was on fire and the anticipation had her entire body trembling when he slowly peppered kisses along her stomach. Her body was trembling uncontrollably and it caused Jason to pause just as he grabbed the waistband of her cotton shorts. He waited for her to look at him to speak, "Are you ok?"_

_She answered him with a nod._

_"Are you cold?" he asked._

_She shook her head and he smiled. She was nervous but so was he. He tugged on the waistband and she raised her hip off the bed so he could slide the shorts down her leg. She immediately grew self conscious when she realized he'd pulled her panties down too. He settled beside her and his lips found hers, kissing her hard till they were gasping for breath. He took her bottom lip in his teeth and lightly bit, quickly soothing it with his tongue while his finger lightly traced her wet, swollen slit. Her hips jerked at the soft, teasing touch of his finger, but it left her body aching for more. He trailed kisses down her body, down her neck, chest, the valley between her breasts, to her stomach._

_He moved so he was between her knees and met her eyes as his tongue flicked at her sensitive bud. A burning flooded her body from head to toe and her hips jerked up with each flick of his tongue. She spread her legs further apart, urging him on. She watched him slowly trace her with his tongue then suddenly thrust it inside her, causing her to whimper his name. He removed it and returned to flick and suck on her swollen bud. He heard her breathing deepen and her eyes grew dark. She was close, he thrust his finger inside her and she whimpered his name again not knowing what was coming next. He added a second finger causing her to moan. Seconds later her body lit on fire as the new feeling began to flow through her. Her upper body jolted off the bed as her first orgasm rolled through her body and she screamed his name. His fingers continued pumping and his tongue flicked as the waves continued rolling through her till her head dropped back to the bed. _

_Elizabeth's ears were ringing and the room was spinning. By the time she regained part of her senses she felt his skin against hers. He had disposed of his pants and settled back on top of her. "Are you ok?" he asked._

_She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and nodded._

_"You are so sexy." He huskily whispered as he took her hands in his, linking their fingers and bringing their hands to settle on either side of her head. His lips gently brushed against hers as he slowly pushed into her as far as her body allowed. She gasped at the intrusion. He waited until her eyes opened and gave her time to adjust to him. "Wrap your legs around my waist."_

_Her hands were gripping his tightly and she did as he requested._

_"OK?"_

_She smiled and nodded. Jason immediately began moving in slow torturous strokes. He kissed her repeatedly telling her how beautiful she was. Soon she was moaning along with him, raising her hips to meet his thrusts. His forehead rested against hers when he felt her hands tighten even more in his. She went first, the blast shooting through her in numerous waves. She would swear she even blacked out for a split second. Jason followed shortly after, the tremors rocking through him stronger then ever._

_He collapsed but tried unsuccessfully to keep his weight off her. He managed to find the strength to roll them over and pull the blanket over her so she wouldn't be cold laying on top of him._

… End flashback

Elizabeth pulled out her cell phone and tried to call Neil again but it went directly to his voicemail. "Do you boys want to go outside and play before it gets dark?"

She had to get her mind off of things or she was going to literally go insane.

Flashback, 14 years ago…

_They had been going at it like rabbits for three weeks. Once Emily left to meet Nicolas they'd spend the entire night together. In the kitchen, the pool house, her room, his room, the shower, and even once in the middle of the yard late at night, they couldn't keep their hands off each other. Sure Emily knew what was going on but she said nothing, for which Elizabeth had been grateful. _

_Elizabeth packed her bags and headed to college. The same day Jason had left on a business trip for Sonny. He didn't know how long he'd be gone and they'd spent the entire night saying goodbye. They never made promises to each other, mainly because neither of them wanted to be disappointed. There was just the hope of a future._

_It took just two weeks in the dorms for her to lose her mind. She was pregnant, seven different pregnancy tests had assured her that she was. Jason was gone until who knows when. Not knowing where to turn, Elizabeth leaned on Emily and her grandmother. Audrey was helpful but still taking care of her grandfather even though they were back in town. Emily was not in college yet, instead she'd taken the fall semester off to travel._

_"Come with me to Switzerland for a few weeks. Aunt Ella and Uncle Harry have this amazing chalet in the mountains." Emily said._

_"I can't, what about school?"_

_Emily arched an eyebrow, "I think plans are going to have to change. Either way you need some time to figure out what you want to do. I'll even buy your plane ticket."_

_"What about my classes."_

_"School will be here next semester, and the semester after that." Emily explained wither her hands on her hips._

…End flashback

So much changed on that trip. It was months before Jason returned to town. Emily had returned to Port Charles without Elizabeth. She had stayed behind after being fond of Harry, Ella as well as the Swiss countryside. Jason had been there for the birth of Sean but everything was different. By then he was so deep into the business and the danger scared her so much. She didn't want that around Sean so staying in Switzerland seemed right. He visited her and Sean when he could, usually every few months. When Sean turned five, though, her grandfather died. She made the trip home alone, leaving Sean with Harry and Ella.

She quite often felt so guilty for letting life get in the way. She wanted to be with Sean so much but when he got into a prestigious boarding school a town away from Harry and Ella's place, she let everyone talk her into staying in Port Charles and finally going to school. The difference was when she enrolled years before she was an art major, now she decided to go a more practical route… nursing. Everything was going great, she'd visit Sean once every month or two. Sure she spent a lot of time on airplanes but it gave her time to study.

Elizabeth was just finishing her junior year when she took the trip with Jason for Sean's birthday. Some alcohol, memories and a flame that never went out all combined for a night that gave her Cameron.

How had her life suddenly turned into that book she sat down to read the first night Jason came to her? Well it wasn't completely the same but the idea of it was, they just couldn't get together but there was always the draw and the love… and the boys.

"Are you ok dear?" Audrey asked as she walked up behind Elizabeth on the patio. Elizabeth jumped, not realizing her grandmother had woken up from her nap.

Elizabeth shook her head, "I screwed up everything didn't I? From the beginning I have made nothing but wrong decisions."

"Oh dear, that is not true. You have three wonderful boys and whether you realize it or not you have a large group of people that you have surrounded yourself with that love you very much… Jason included. Don't you regret a single thing. Everything happens for a reason, you remember that, ok?"

Elizabeth crossed her arms over her chest and nodded as she went back to watching the boys run around the yard chasing the lightning bugs as the sun started to go down. She glanced at her watch again wondering where Neil was with her first born son. She needed her son and as much as she would often deny it, she needed his father too.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Jason backed out of their hug, brought his hand to Sean's shoulder and led them to the bench a few feet away for some privacy. "How did you get here?"

Sean tipped his head toward the crowd standing by the elevator. "I didn't really give Aunt Ella and Uncle Harry much of a choice. I told them that I was going to go online and buy my own ticket to fly here."

Jason shook his head, "You didn't have to come all the way here, you could've called. I hate that you are missing school."

"Well we have a week off for mid-semester break. I had to see you myself to make sure you were ok. You know how Aunt Ella can be, mom too. They'd both be all _'Oh he's just fine'_ and in the meantime you'd be laying in ICU."

"I'm not in the ICU." Jason reminded him.

Sean rolled his eyes, "I realize that dad, you don't get my point. I guess I'm like you in the fact that I had to see for myself that you were ok."

Jason couldn't argue with that. "I understand."

Sean leaned in slightly, "And I don't know the story of what happened or any of that. But, I do know that mom loves you… probably more then you know… and there is no way she did this on purpose."

Jason nodded his head and pat his oldest son's leg, "Don't you worry about that, ok? I know." There was a long pause before Jason spoke again, "You have gotten taller again. You are going to be as tall as me by the time you are fifteen and taller then me before you head off to college."

Sean laughed, "That's ok, I'll still let you think you can catch me when I'm bigger then you."

Jason smiled, "Well, you're a good kid, we've never had to chase after you."

"What the hell is going on here?" Sam snapped as she grew impatient waiting for Jason to finish with this boy who had called him dad.

Two guards immediately stepped in front of Carly and Sam, keeping them away from the reunion. Jason distantly could hear the women throwing a fit but the sound was just background noise to his conversation with his son.

"Jason…" Neil said finally approaching them. "We should get Sean out of here."

Jason nodded his agreement.

"Seaaaannnnnieeeee!"

They all turned when Emily's voice screached down the hallway. Sean smiled and deviously looked at her, "Aunt Emmy."

She rolled her eyes knowing he hated the nickname she had for him as much as she hated being called Emmy. Her eyes momentarily flashed to Jason and she could see the alarm and worry. "How did you… Uncle Neil! What is going on here?" Emily asked as she pushed past Carly, Sam and the guards to hug her nephew. "What are you guys all doing here?"

"Hey Em." Neil said, patting her shoulder.

"Emily we need to get out of here." Jason mumbled.

The two guards accompanied by Harry and Ella approached them. "Jason, we're taking him to his mother." The larger guard said.

Jason looked at them and knew Elizabeth was not at her house nor anywhere he would be able to find her. "I'm coming with you."

Harry shook his head, "Jason, give her some time. You have something else to take care of before you two can discuss what happened. Joey and his men are making sure she and the boys are safe in the meantime."

"Where are they at?" Jason asked.

Neil shook his head and nodded for Jason to step away from the crowd to speak. They stepped across the hall, "Can't tell you that until we know everything has been called off."

Jason shook his head, "I need to see her."

"And I know that Jason but you also have to understand that Joey is involved. He is the one that called me when he got word of the hit Claudia ordered. He looks at Elizabeth like a daughter and because of that he is very protective."

"Dad." Sean said slowly approaching. "It's ok, go take care of whatever you need to do, I'll call you later. I promise."

Jason nodded and turned back to Neil, "Is she ok?"

"She is scared, she probably thinks you hate her and she is tired, very tired. But before I go, in case you haven't thought about this already… your girly over there saw the whole thing, Elizabeth talked to her before she ran. She basically told Elizabeth that she was going to pay for the accident. It's a little fishy that she didn't tell the cops who fired the shot so most likely she is in on this with Claudia." Neil said in a very low voice that Jason barely heard but he nodded his acknowledgement.

Jason turned to look at Sean and Emily, "Sean go ahead but please call me when you get there and get settled in." Sam and Carly stared in shock at everything happening in front of them.

"I promise I will dad." Sean assured him and approached him to give him one more hug. "I missed you." He mumbled.

"I missed you too."

When Sean turned back around, Emily winked at him, "Text me later Seanie."

Sean rolled his eyes at his aunt but nodded and the crowd all moved to the elevator with the exception of Jason, Emily, Sam and Carly. Jason's stomach was in knots and his mind was traveling a mile a minute. How had he let things get so out of hand. He should be with Elizabeth, he should have been with her all along-while she raised Sean, Cameron, and Jake. While she grew as a mother and a woman-he should have been by her side. Instead he let the fear take over and make his choices for him. When they had gotten together after Cameron was born it was Elizabeth that ran when there was an attempt on Carly's life. Then after Jake was born she had made her decision, she trusted Jason to protect her and their three boys. They were going to go public with their family but then it was him that ran at the last minute, afraid when there was a new threat. He doubted his ability to protect them and would not have been able to live with the guilt if something ever happened to one of them. It was the most selfish and at the same time unselfish thing he'd ever done.

As he watched Sean walking away he knew that fate had made his decision for him. He missed his sons every day and the few times he'd get away to see them was never enough. He missed Elizabeth every minute and the few times they'd manage to be on the same page over the years did nothing but add fuel to the flame he carried for her.

Looking over at Sam he knew what an ass he'd been. Yes, over the years they each had their share of flings, Courtney and Sam for him and Elizabeth had married Lucky for a year. They were both just looking for someone to fill the void, the spot they each belonged in but it never worked out no matter how hard they tried.

"What in god's name is going on here?"

"Grandfather, what are you doing here?" Emily asked.

"Board meeting." He said as he nodded toward the elevator. "Sean is here? And what the hell is my brother doing here?"

"They came for a visit." Emily said matter-of-factly.

* * *

"Claudia!" Sonny, slowly walking down the hallway that led to the bedrooms in his house.

"What!" She called from the second room on the left. Sonny followed her voice and found her running on the elliptical machine in the workout room.

"You need to cancel the hit. You started something that I don't want to finish for you. Elizabeth Webber is under the protection of Joey Albieto."

Her legs stopped moving on the machine and she gulped down half of the bottle of water that was sitting on the ledge of the machine. "What are you talking about Sonny?"

"I mean, unless you want a mob war on your hands and a target on your back, cancel your orders." He snapped, throwing his hands in the air.

Claudia shook her head matter-of-factly. "I'm not going to do it."

"Claudia I run this organization. Don't make me call them myself and undermine you."

She stepped down from the machine and tossed a small hand towel over her shoulder, "Do what you need to do. I stand by my decision."

* * *

"Mom?"

"Oh my gosh, Sean. Where the hell are you?" Elizabeth quickly asked.

"Don't worry mom, we are on our way there now."

Elizabeth frowned, "What do you mean now? Where did you stop?"

The phone was silent for a second. He knew she was not going to like his answer. "The hospital. I had to see dad first."

Her voice was low as she spoke, "How was he?"

"He was fine, ma."

She sighed, "Ok, just get here ok?"

"We'll be there in fifteen minutes."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

"Jason, what the hell is going on here?" Carly growled as soon as the elevator door closed.

Edward raised his hand, "Wait just one minute missy. You are going to have to excuse us because I need to speak to my grandchildren before they deal with your trivial meddling."

Jason and Emily followed Edward back over to the waiting area for privacy, leaving Sam and Carly to wait once again for an answer on what was going on. Both women looked extremely angry and had it not been for the fact that they both wanted information on what was going on then they would have left.

"Can somebody tell me what is going on around here?" Edward growled.

Emily shrugged and Jason gave him a short answer, "Sean found out I was in the hospital so he came to see me."

"For 14 years I have kept your secrets for you and the boy just shows up and blows it all out of the water."

Emily stepped forward, "No grandfather, you didn't want to keep the secret. Uncle Harry had to… umm… blackmail you or you'd have Sean running ELQ and Cam on the executive fast track already."

Edward's jaw tightened. His brother had him, for lack of a better phrase, 'by the balls' thanks to a shady business transaction he made around the time Sean was born. If Harry ever revealed what he did back then, the SEC would be on him and would investigate every penny he ever made, traded and spent… something he certainly did not want. So, reluctantly, Edward had kept the secret relationship of Elizabeth, Jason and the boys within their family. He worried that if the secret ever got out about the boys then what reason would his brother have for not reporting him to the SEC.

"What were you doing in the hospital, Jason?" Edward asked, changing the subject.

Jason shrugged, "You didn't hear?"

"He was shot last night, well a bullet grazed him. It apparently was just random. The police don't think he was specifically targeted." Emily interjected.

Edward shook his head and huffed before turning and walking away.

"I'll go talk to grandfather but I really do want to know what is going on here." She looked over Jason's shoulder to Carly and Sam wearing matching scowls. "I'll give Elizabeth a call, it sounds like she is going to have a rough day."

"She had a rough night too."

Emily raised her eyebrows and craned her neck, "What do you mean? What else happened?"

Jason shook his head, "A lot. I don't even know the full details yet."

"I guess I'll call her once my shift is over."

"Good idea." Jason whispered as Emily pulled him into a hug.

"I'm glad you are ok. I know you think you are a cat but you are running out of lives." She joked before running off.

"Ok, I've waited patiently, I demand an explanation!" Carly snapped as she stepped toward him.

"I don't have time for this." Jason said, shaking his head as he made his way toward the nurses desk.

Sam walked up behind him and placed her hand on his bicep, "It's ok, we can talk about this later and you can explain it all to me when we get home." She calmly said. "Let me take you home so you can rest."

"Sam, you need to go home to YOUR home, not MY home. I have things to take care of."

"Jason, why are you being like this?" she asked, appalled with his tone.

"Uh, because you are a dirty tramp." Carly answered for him. She plastered a sarcastic smile on her face as she said the words, a smile Sam immediately wanted to slap.

"Go to hell." Sam spat.

Jason tried to ignore the cat fight behind him as he signed the papers Epiphany handed him. "Looks like drama follows you everywhere." The nurse joked and gained a glare from both of the women standing behind Jason. "Unless you need anything else you are free to go."

Jason nodded his thank you and walked over to the elevator. "Look, I know you both want answers but I need to take care of some things first."

"What could be more important then your health, Jason?" Sam asked gaining an eye roll from Carly.

"There are a few things more important." He replied as he stepped onto the elevator. "A few people." He mumbled as the doors closed, finally helping him escape the two women, even though it was probably only going to be a short lived escape.

* * *

She had just gotten the boys inside after a fight with Cameron over the lightening bugs. He insisted on bringing the jar of them into the house but Elizabeth refused to budge. Audrey stepped in and explained that they would die if they stayed in the jar for more then a few hours so before they walked back into the house, she and Cameron released a half dozen from captivity.

Jake was in her arms, his head and arms draped over her shoulder, sound asleep. Cameron had disappeared into the kitchen with Audrey to wash his hands and find some dessert before taking his bath and heading into bed.

It was almost completely dark so when the headlights turned the corner, Elizabeth immediately noticed. As gently as possible, Elizabeth rushed down the hall to lay Jake in the portable crib Joey had set up for her. By the time she made it back into the Livingroom, the car was just coming to a stop.

The back door of the car opened as another car turned down the long road leading up to the house. Sean stepped out, rushed to the door and into his mother's waiting arms. "Are you ok?" Sean asked.

Elizabeth shook her head and stepped back. Her hand raised to cup his cheek, "No…" she chuckled, "My son is taller then me."

Sean rolled his eyes, "I'll be taller then dad sooner then we know it." He joked.

They turned and walked over to the couch as Elizabeth sighed, "How is he?"

"Fine, typical dad. You know…" he trailed off. "Mom, what really happened?"

Elizabeth was silent.

"I'm not seven anymore, you can tell me… I'm a big boy, I can handle it. I know what dad does for a living and I can handle it - so I can handle this."

Elizabeth couldn't believe her son was giving her the 'I'm a grown-up speech'. "I know Sean… what did you hear?"

Sean shook his head, "Just tell me everything mom."

Elizabeth nodded, "I know you hate being so far away, especially because you can't be the protective son of your single mother but…"

"But you don't have to be single. This whole staying away from dad is stupid."

"Stupid or not, it's the choice he made." Elizabeth quickly replied. "Like I was saying, I don't want you to worry."

Sean's lips tightened, a trait of his father's that he had inherited, "Mom, stop avoiding telling me, that's something dad tends to do too…" he paused and pulled his vibrating cell phone from his pocket. "Speak of the devil." He half joked. "Hey dad."

Elizabeth stood and walked over to the window. Harry and Ella were just getting out of the second car but they stopped to have a conversation with Neil and the other men. As much as she tried to block it out, she couldn't help but listen to Sean's conversation.

"I don't know where we are." Sean said. Elizabeth knew he was lying because he probably wasn't sure if anyone should know where they were or if the lines were secure.

"She's ok." He quietly said. "I just got here so…" Sean trailed off.

"Hello" Elizabeth whispered into the phone just after she snatched it out of Sean's hand. She couldn't not talk to him, not hear his voice and know he was ok. Sean immediately stood and pointed outside, motioning he was going out to get his bags.

"Elizabeth?"

"Yea." She replied, barely able to talk. "A-are you ok?"

Jason cleared his voice. "I'm fine… good… no damage."

"I'm sorry… I didn't know anyone else was there… I thought you were… it was dark and…"

"I know." He rasped. "I'll find who is stalking you and take care of it… and I'll take care of Claudia too."

She shook her head, overwhelmed with a handful of emotions at once. "I'm sorry I caused this."

There was a long silence before he spoke, "I'm sorry you felt you couldn't come to me, couldn't tell me. I'm always here for you, I thought you knew that." She didn't speak or reply to him so after a long pause he said all he knew he could, "I love you."

She sniffled as the tears ran down her face, "I know, me too… I just wish it was enough."


End file.
